Felt boot



T. s. VERY.

, (No Model.)

FELT BOUT.

Patented Feb.

Ml DREW E GRAHAM. FHUTO-UTHO-WASHINGTDN. D C

PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE S. VERY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,468, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed April l, 1895. Serial No. 544,039. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, THEoDoRE S. VERY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Felt Boots, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to felt footwear designed to be worn without a slipper or inner foot-covering, and therefore intended to iit the contour of the foot somewhat closely, as in the case of an ordinary boot, in contradistinction to felt footwear, which is intentionally made very loose, for use outside of an inner covering or slipper.

Felt footwear of the class to which my invention relates is liable to break or become disintegrated at the points where it is subjected to the greatest flexure when in use on the foot, particularly at the junction of the toes with the foot, the constant bending` of the felt at this point being liable to disintegrate it, owing to the necessarily loose condition of the fibers of the felt. Felt foot-coverings have been protected by external rubber shoes cemented or otherwise secured to the felt portion and constituting an equivalent of an ordinary rubber, the rubber covering being formed integral with a rubber sole and heel covering the bottom of the felt portion, and therefore being necessarily made comparatively heavy, so that it interferes with the comfort of the boot, besides being undesirably heavy.

My invention has for its object to provide a felt boot, the bottom and lower portions of the sides of the foot of which shall be protected by a suitably heavy rubber covering comprising a sole and heel and a foxing cemented to the lower parts of the sides of the foot without covering the upper portions of the foot, and also in which the liability of the upper part of the felt foot portion to be disintegrated by the flexure to which it is subjected shall be obviated, at the same time preserving a neat appearance of the article.

To these ends my invention consists in the improved construction which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side View of a felt boot comprising a seamless foot and leg. Fig. 2 represents a similar view showing alight and flexible reinforcing piece cemented to the upper portion of the foot in position to protect the same at its points of greatest wear by fleXure. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of a complete article of footwear embodying my invention.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I take a seamless felt boot a, which has been prepared and shaped by the usual processes and is formed to fit the foot on which it is intended to be worn without provision for an inner slipper or covering, said boot being made in a single seamless piece. I cement to such parts of the upper portion of the foot of the boot a as are subjected to the greatest wear and injury by iieXure a reinforcingpiece h, which is preferably of a suitably strong and comparatively thin cloth, although it may be a thin sheet of rubber or other suitable material. The reinforcing-piece covers the upper front portion of thefoot extending from the toe to the instep and from side to side.

o represents a comparatively heavy rubber bottom, which comprises a sole and a heel, and is provided with an upwardly-extending foxing c', preferably integral with the said bottom, the said foxing covering the lower side portions of the foot of the felt portion and portions of the toe and heel.

The entire interior surface of the rubber is cemented to corresponding surfaces of the boot, and the foXing o extends over the reinforcing-piece b, so that it covers the edges of the same and preserves a neat appearance of the boot, besides preventing theseparation of the reinforcing-piece from the boot at the edges of the former.

The boot thus constructed has the following characteristics: First, the felt portion is accurately'fitted to the foot; secondly, the rubber bottom and foXing are made sufficiently heavy 'to serve to sustain the wear on the sole and heel and to keep the margin of the felt foot in shape without stiffening the upper portion of the felt foot and rendering it bulky and uncomfortable; thirdly, the reinforcing-piece, while preventing injury to the `felt foot by iexure, is so, thin and flexible IOO that it dees not detract from the appearance of the boot nor from the comfort of the wearer; fourthly, a neat appearance of the article is obtained by carrying the reinforcing-piece under the foxing.

The rubber bottom c and foxing c constitute bottom and side reinforcements, While the reinforeingpiece b constitutes a top reinforcement, which is much more flexible than the said bottom and side reinforcements, since it is not itself subjected to Wear by contact with rigid objects, and is intended, as above stated, to prevent the disintegration of the felt by flexure. The said top reinforcement may be considered as a hinge, which permits the free bending or ilexure of the fore part of the foot and prevents disintegration of the felt along the lines of flexure, the portion of the top reinforcement over said line being the joint of the hinge. The intimate union of the top reinforcement to the felt foot, caused by ceinenting said parts together, makes said top reinforcement or hinge very effective in preventing the disintegration of the felt.

I claim As an improved article of manufacture, a seamless felt boot having a seamless inner surface formed to cover the entire foot of the wearer,Wearresisti-ng and waterproof bottom and side reinforcements, and a top reinforcement or hinge of the material described ce mented to the upper surface of the fore part, and adapted to prevent disintegration of the felt by the flexure to which the said fore part is subjected.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 28th day of March, A. D. 1395.

THEODORE VERY.

"Witnesses:

A. D. HARRISON, RoLmN ABELL. 

